Please Don't Remember Me
by DD Agent
Summary: Jethro wakes up after the explosion in 3.23, but thinks its 1997 and Jenny is his partner. Can Jenny, who was on the verge of getting back together with the love of her life, be there for him or will she decide to abandon her heart once more?
1. Chapter 1

**Please Don't Remember Me by DD Agent**

_I do not own NCIS or any of its characters, or its settings - all belongs to the lovely folks at CBS****_

_This fic was originally two. I had the idea of Jethro losing his memory just after asking Jenny to dinner, and then the idea of Jethro losing his memory and thinking Jenny was his partner [I am _so _obsessed with pre-series Jibbs]. Rather than write two fics, I decided to mush them into one! Usually with my multi chapter fics I plan them out, so I know the ending well in advance. But for this, I wanted to be free with it. I haven't wrote a fic like this in several years, so we'll see how it goes._

_And parish news on the writing front - all Lauren Holly fans need to check out my _Scream of the Banshee _fic. I found it seriously amusing to write. And I have two updates for the '97 Series: Jenny's first case and her first autopsy. They'll hopefully be online tomorrow._

_Enjoy!_

**_Chapter One_**

Jethro was awake! Donald 'Ducky' Mallard smiled as the Neurologist helped Jethro lose his breathing tube. He was struggling against the medical attention, which was so typical of him.

"Welcome back Jethro!" He cried, happy to see his friend awake. They could now finish the case that had thrown the legendary field agent into a coma, and then they could all go out for a hearty drink. Or something along those lines - either way, the trauma that the team had undergone and the constant look in Jennifer's eyes that suggested she was going to cry would now end.

Doctor Gelfand was talking to Jethro, shining a light in his eyes. "You were in an explosion."

Jethro coughed, still struggling a little against the attention. "I remember." A look of fear crossed over his face. "Jenny, where's Jenny? She okay?" He pulled against the medical attention again. He caught sight of Ducky and turned to him, his wide eyes fearful. "Ducky, is Jenny okay?"

He didn't know what on earth he was on about! Of course Jenny was alright…then a thought hit him. Jethro was most likely experiencing some memory loss, and it was only a few weeks ago that Jennifer had been kidnapped. He must have reverted back to that time. The smile that had faltered was now back in force - the rest of his memory would kick in soon enough. But there hadn't been an explosion during that ordeal…

"Jennifer is fine, Jethro. Absolutely fine. Now let Doctor Gelfand do his work and make sure you are too."

Jethro nodded and sat up while the doctor and his nurse looked over him. "Agent Gibbs, can you tell me about the explosion?"

He coughed again. "Me and Jenny were clearing a building; some scumbug was thought to be making a bomb. Next thing I know, it's gone off." He paused. "You sure Jenny's okay, Duck?"

Ducky couldn't move his mouth. The events Jethro was describing had happened in January of '97, just before the partnership of Jennifer and Jethro had become a team, with William and Stanley. He didn't just not remember the events of the last few weeks, but the events of the last decade.

"She's fine, Jethro, I promise."

She wouldn't be for long.

X

_"What are you doing tomorrow, Jen?"_

_"Same as usual, Jethro. Why?"_

She remembered him knocking on her office door, a sure fire sign that something was wrong. But he didn't spit it out immediately, just hovered around her desk with his hands on his hips and a glint in his blue eyes that Jenny had known would have her in trouble before too long. She had been preparing to go to a dinner at the White House, although she would have preferred to spend the evening with Jethro and that smile.

_"__We're heading off to get the information from our undercover agent, but I should be done about breakfast. Do you want to get breakfast with me, Jen?"_

_"Is that your roundabout way of inviting me into your…you don't really use a bed, do you Jethro?"_

She remembered his smile, the easy banter between them. She loved the way his hand had immediately moved to her hip as she had slunk closer to him. To both of them it felt so natural to be holding each other, to be so close that they shared the same oxygen. Jenny remembered biting her lip; she remembered the way his fingers grazed over her skin.

_"I'm talking about breakfast, Jen. Eating in a nice place - pancakes and coffee. I'm talking about giving us a second chance. After you got __kidnapped I realised that I…Jen..."_

_"It's okay, Jethro. Breakfast sounds good." _She had kissed him at that point, light and chaste but enough for both of them to realise what they wanted. Like her being held at gunpoint hadn't done that enough. _"Second chances sound good."_

Then the idiot had to get himself blown up.

Jenny stood up from the harsh waiting room chair, running a hand through her short red locks. She had tried to keep things together the last few days, but it was growing harder. All she wanted to do was rush in and stay by his bedside, hold his hand so tight until she caught sight of those beautiful blue eyes. She appreciated Doctor Gelfand's comforting smiles, and if Jethro hadn't talked to her before they had left that night, she might even be swayed.

But all she wanted was him.

"Jennifer?"

She looked up to see Ducky standing there, looking harassed. Jenny wondered for a moment if Jethro had woken up and started berating the medical examiner for worrying too much. After all, why would Ducky have called her had there not been some sort of news? Unless it was bad. She didn't think her heart could take it if she had lost him again.

"Ducky what's going on? Is Jethro alright?"

He motioned for her to sit down. She followed his instructions, and her eyes started to grow fearful as Ducky reached for her hand, holding it tight within his own. "Jethro is awake. There seems to be no lasting damage to him physically, although he does have some memory loss. It's very typical for this type of trauma."

She knew it had been too good to be true. Of course, now that things were finally going right for her and Jethro, something would have to come along and screw it up. _Memory loss. _He wouldn't remember the night of the explosion, wouldn't remember their sweet kiss and the promise of breakfast. Still, it wasn't all lost. Maybe he would remember the feelings of when she was kidnapped, and he'd ask her to breakfast in a few more weeks. God knows she had waited long enough for both of them to be ready for their relationship; she could wait a few more weeks for him.

"Jethro is okay, that's the main thing. How much doesn't he remember?"

She could see Ducky swallow, and Jenny started to get worried again. How much time had he lost?

"Do you remember the time you and Jethro were caught in an explosion back in the late nineties?"

Jenny nodded, not liking where this was going. "I do, Ducky. Jethro…he grabbed me around the waist and forced me down. The explosion didn't get me, but I hit an iron rod as I went down. Was in hospital for a week - Jethro never let me. Kept muttering about how it was his fault." She felt her side burn with the memory, and her heart ache at the image of Jethro holding her hand as she slept. "Please tell me you're going through all the instances we've been in hospital over the last decade?"

Ducky shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jennifer." He paused. "Jethro has lost his memory of the last near decade. He thinks you two are partners. The first thing he asked was whether you were alright."

She stood up from the chair, looking down the corridor to where Jethro was. Jenny bit her lip, trying to get her emotions under control. He had no idea about their breakfast date - he didn't even know she was Director! The real loss hit her next. They were still partners when they had gone into that building. They hadn't become lovers for another six or seven months after that. Jethro had no clue about Paris, about Marseille, about every happy moment they had shared; and the letter she had written as she left him.

Somewhere, she realised Ducky was talking to her. "He needs you, Jennifer. I could explain things to him, but I think it would be better coming from you. Your relationship back then was incredibly strong, you had an amazing bond. I also think your presence would stop all his ideas about how I'm lying to him about how you are."

Jenny snorted. "Lying to him?"

Ducky risked a pale smile. "He thinks you're lying on an operating table somewhere and I'm trying to spare his feelings. Go to him, Jennifer, try and ease him into this. Amnesia is a very complicated thing; he needs someone who he recognises to help him through it. He needs you."

"I can't, Ducky." She sighed. "Too much has happened between us for me to think of Jethro as anything other than my…I love him, Ducky. I've never stopped, and to go back and pretend I don't have any feelings for him is…I can't do it."

Ducky gave her a glare and she sat back down like she was being told off by a rather patient parent. The medical examiner put an arm around her in an attempt to comfort her. She leaned into his chest and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She hadn't let herself be in this position since she had become Director, hadn't allowed Ducky to take on his usual role as a surrogate father. But at that moment she needed him, and more so, needed the pep talk she was sure to get.

"Jennifer, I've known you and Jethro for a long time now. Ten years, in fact. I know when you started having feelings for each other, and I know that both of you never stopped, as much as you both tried to tell yourself you had." He smiled at her. "Jethro told me a few days ago he wanted to reconcile with you, that he missed you. The man you fell in love with is still there, just a few steps short of being completely besotted with you. I'm not asking you to deny how you feel, Jennifer. I'm just asking you to go to him, and love him as you've always done."

She smiled at his words and turned down the corridor again where Jethro was waiting for her. She needed to do this. He had been there for her when she had needed him, and she needed to do the same now. It would hurt, but she couldn't let him go through this alone. So what if he didn't remember that night in Marseille, or their first kiss, or when he told her he loved her for the first time? He was still Jethro, and he still loved her. He just didn't remember he did.

"If something bad happens, I'm blaming you," Jenny whispered as she squeezed Ducky's shoulder and headed down the corridor to see Jethro.

As she walked away she could hear him whisper to thin air: "Don't you both always?"

X

The nurses and the doctors were looking at him a little strangely. When they had left the room for a brief moment, he'd took a glance at his chart. The date was all wrong - and that's when he worked out the explosion had made him lose almost a decade of his life. Leroy Jethro Gibbs was pissed to say the least - what had he missed out on in those nine years?

He closed his eyes, needing to rest his head. The doctor told him not to get himself worked up, which was easy for him to say. He wasn't stuck in the nineties and lying in a hospital bed after being blown up, not sure of the man he was now. A flash of red passed his door and he called out her name, but it wasn't Jenny. There were two redheads who kept walking past, but neither were his partner who he was desperate to see.

Jethro rolled on his side, or as much as he could do without being in too much pain. Jenny was obviously safe and unharmed; unless they were still partners and she had been caught in the blast too. He wondered whether they were still partners after a decade working together, or whether his cute little redhead had moved up in the world. He wondered if he had married again - he found no trace of a wedding ring on his finger but they could have removed that. Something big was happening soon, quite soon, that was as much as he could recall. Maybe he was getting married - that sort of felt right.

"Jethro?"

A woman's voice he recognised called from the door and he shot from his side to face her. He grimaced in pain, and suddenly her hands were covering his own, calming him down. He looked up and there was Jenny. She looked beautiful, had grown up in that decade from a probie to a beautiful woman. He reached up and stroked her hair - what was left of it at least.

"You cut your hair."

She grinned. He remembered that grin; she had had the same monkey grin the other day when she had switched his coffee. He smiled back at her, despite his injuries. "Yes I did. You like it?" She was biting her lip again. She only did it when she was nervous around people she knew - especially him. He found the whole thing adorable, not that he would dare say that to her face. His girl had a mean streak.

"I do, I really do. Makes you look all professional." He shifted in his bed and propped himself up. Jenny was sitting on the bed next to him, and her hands were still resting over his. He looked over her hands and found no trace of an engagement ring. Obviously if he was getting married, it wasn't to her.

"You scared us all, Jethro. Getting yourself blown up like that."

Us all? Ducky, Jenny, the guys from the office surely. But things must have changed in nine years, there would be different guys in the office, different people handling evidence - maybe Morrow had left and there was even a new Director.

"The last thing I remember was pulling you down." He coughed. "Then I'm here, having a Marty McFly moment."

She frowned for a brief second, obviously realising he had figured out what was going on. "That was January of '97. Its May, 2006, Jethro." He nodded, hating that it was now official that he'd lost a decade of his life. "You saved my life that day, Jethro. Doctors say that if you hadn't have pulled me down, I'd have been caught by shrapnel."

He ran a hand over her face. There were a few lines, but she was still beautiful. His hand fit around the curve of her neck, and he wondered how many times he had done that before - had he ever pressed his lips to hers, ran his hands over her other curves?

"Couldn't have that pretty face getting ruined now, could we?" He groaned as he reached for a glass of water. Her hands hit his as she tried to help him. Once he sipped some cold water, he turned back to his partner. "Fill me in, Shepard. Nine years is a long time to lose."

Jenny nodded and moved her legs underneath her. He was tempted to ask her to lay beside him, but that would just be too tempting. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

He thought about things for a moment. History and major world events could wait for a similar discussion with Ducky. He needed to know the big things of his own world first. "Okay, do I still work for NCIS? Is Morrow still Director?" He paused. "Are we still partners? Have we lost anybody?" He looked at her hands again and noticed that there was no wedding ring there either. She hadn't married in the nine years that he had lost. He wondered why. "Am I with anyone?"

The last question brought pain to her face, and Jethro wondered if he was missing something big. But Jenny was a pro, and covered her face with a smile almost instantly. "You still work for NCIS; you took over from Carter and now run the Major Case Response Team. We're not partners; I'm not on your team either." Her breath caught for a moment. "We lost a few people. Chris Pacci died a couple of years ago, but you caught who did it. As for being with anyone…you got remarried and divorced a few years back. I…I don't know if you're dating anyone at the moment."

He took the information on readily. He was glad he was working for NCIS, and he was even happier that he had his own team now. Carter shouldn't have been running MCRT anyway. Pacci's death was a great loss - he had been a good friend. The fact that he had been remarried and divorced in the nine years didn't surprise him. He'd had three wives in the nineties alone, two of them in a vain attempt to move on from his first wife Shannon.

"You didn't mention bout Morrow," he stated, and realised that he also wanted to know what Jenny was doing now. If she wasn't in his team, was she stationed somewhere else? Had she flown out to be with him? He'd find out soon enough.

She laughed, a sound that seemed alien in the harsh walls of the hospital room. "Morrow left last year for Homeland Security. We have a new Director."

"They any good?" He frowned for a moment. Something stirred in him when Jenny mentioned the new Director. What sort of relationship did they have together? It was 2006, there was a good chance the Director could be a woman. Maybe that's why Jenny was reluctant to say anything - he was involved with the new Director.

"I really couldn't say." She smirked. "Never been the type to big myself up."

The words took a little while to register, and then he looked at Jenny with a weak smile. His probie was now Director of NCIS. She was looking at him with eager eyes, waiting to hear his approval over her new position. To him, he couldn't see the progression. The Jenny he had worked with yesterday didn't like politics, played her own game and was more than happy pulling pranks on their co-workers with him. This Jenny was the NCIS Director with her fancy suits and smart haircut. A lot had obviously changed in nine years.

"Congratulations. I bet that went down well with me."

"You stopped arguing about me being a field agent a couple of months ago. Well, arguing about it properly at least."

He laughed and looked up at her, those green eyes sparkling. There was one more question he needed to know, was desperate to find out. He reached for her hand and entwined their fingers. "Did we ever-"

"Ever what?"

He liked the blush rising on her cheeks. "Did we ever get together?" He chuckled at her. "Nine years is a long time, Shepard. Man's gotta ask."

She bit her lip again. "No, never. Rule Twelve, remember?"

Jethro nodded, and they talked for a little bit about what NCIS was doing now. She hugged him before leaving so he could get some rest. He was incredibly disappointed that now they weren't partners they hadn't even hooked up for one night, or even kissed. His head hurt, and as he laid down on the pillows, something came to him. He had lost nine years, but he did remember Jenny's tell when she lied.

Her right eye had twitched. Something _had_ happened.

He went to sleep smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Please Don't Remember Me by DD Agent**

_I do not own NCIS or any of its characters, or its settings - all belongs to the lovely folks at CBS_

_Well hello there! I'm back! Went on holiday for two weeks, but I'm back with tons of fic to post! I had planned to put chapter two of this story up before I went, but I got caught up at work and packing and I couldn't manage it. Still, here we go, chapter two! Very angsty, but don't worry - they'll stop being idiots eventually. _

_I am so stoked about the reaction to this story! I love it, and I'm glad you do too! Lots of hugs to everyone who has favourited it and put it on alert. And to the fourteen *amazing* people who reviewed - lots of hugs and cookies to you. Thank you Tempe4Booth, leighanne jenny gibbs, Maggie [I wish I could turn pro!], Mrs. Elizabeth Gibbs, Kalyra-Anne, Miss Jayne, LadyJibbs, Penny Shepard, HuddyJibbsAddict, left my heart in Paris, lachildress, greeklilly, basket-case1880 and dimplesgirl!_

_I should, hopefully, have Chapter Three up very soon. As well as all the other fic I have planned. Hope you enjoy this chap!_

_Chapter Two_

Jenny took another shot of bourbon, enjoying the burn of her throat. It wasn't anything compared to the burn of her tears on her blotched skin. She knew she shouldn't be breaking down in her office, but she really couldn't care less what anyone thought of her now. Ever since Jethro had been blown up, things had turned horrible for her. Nothing had gone right, even talking to him had hurt her - but this, this was something else.

"Jennifer?"

She looked up and saw Ducky's concerned face at the door. He needed to go, she just wanted to be alone. She was about to take her countless next shot when she found the glass being taken out of her hand.

"Don't do this to yourself, Jenny. You're better than that."

She nodded, inwardly disagreeing with the medical examiner but moving to sit on the chairs around her conference table empty handed nevertheless. Ducky joined her, resting a hand on her shoulders. He turned to the screen where two pictures were up, and had been for some time. Jenny didn't feel like explaining who they were, but she knew Ducky would ask. When he did, Jenny couldn't resist crying again.

"They are Shannon and Kelly Gibbs. Jethro's wife and daughter." Ducky met her eyes, confused. Jenny rolled her eyes, letting him know that she felt exactly the same. "Doctor Gelfand said that there was some reason why Gibbs was in a coma, and some reason why he's now stuck in 1997. I wanted to do some digging, see if I could find out why. I'm his…was his partner, it's the least I could do."

Ducky nodded, looking up at the pictures again. "What happened to them? I've never heard Jethro mention a Shannon, ever. Rebecca, occasionally. Diane, of course. I introduced him to Stephanie. And you. He never shuts up about you."

Jenny laughed a little through her tears. Ducky gathered her up into his arms. "Shannon, Jethro's wife, witnessed a murder. They were both placed in witness protection, but the guy came after them. Killed their protection detail while he was driving them to a safe house. Shannon and Kelly died in the crash."

"My God." Ducky squeezed her shoulder. "I can see why Jethro never told us, it wouldn't be something he would want to remember."

"The dates match when he was in Kuwait. A couple of days after he found out, he got caught in an explosion and went into a deep coma." Jenny sighed. "I guess I understand why he didn't tell us…me. But I always…hoped that I was the girl for him. That he'd had horrible marriages and with me he'd finally found the right person. That our second go round would work as we'd be older, wiser, more in love. Now I find out about Shannon and I just…I'm second best, Ducky. I can't believe it, but I'm jealous of a dead woman."

Jenny stood up from the desk, turning away from the screen. Ducky squeezed one of her hands that she'd left on the table, looking up to her with sympathy. "You need to talk to him, Jennifer."

"And tell him what? He doesn't remember Paris; he doesn't remember half our partnership! He sure as hell doesn't remember his feelings for me!" Jenny shot back, crossing her arms over herself. More than ever she was glad she had done the right thing and not told Jethro about their previous relationship. It would have complicated things more, especially with this sudden news. She should do what Jethro had been forced to do, and forget how she felt about him.

Ducky coughed. "But he knows you two were together, doesn't he? You told him that you were lovers in Paris?" She gave him a shifty look and turned to the left. She heard Ducky stand up, and felt his hand smack the back of her head. She hissed. "You, my dear, are an idiot."

"I know, Duck. But things were complicated enough before, and with this I just can't!" She gestured to the screen where Jethro's family smiled back at her, taunting her.

"So what? People have been known to fall in love with more than one person in their lives, Jennifer. I never considered you the romantic type to believe in soul mates. Or are you looking for excuses to leave again, like you did in Paris."

Jenny shot up from her gaze out the window to meet his glare. "You weren't there in Paris. You don't know why I left."

"I read your letter. I had to pick up Jethro from the airport and pour him into my car! Jennifer I love you as if you were my own child. But by god, let yourself love someone rather than push everyone who does away."

Jenny coughed through her tears. "I can't, Ducky. The more I love someone, the harder it is when they leave. Because they always do."

"Not always." He looked at her sadly, wanting to help her but knowing she would refuse. "Go, talk to Jethro about this. If you don't want to tell him how you feel, then talk to him about his wife and child. It seems he's not the only person who's been keeping secrets about their past, Jenny."

Jenny raised her eyes to look at him. He pressed a hand against her cheek. He was right - how could she judge Jethro when she had never told anyone about her father and his supposed suicide. She would go and see Jethro, and bring it up as naturally as possible. _How could we fall in love and you not tell me you had a daughter? _

"Jennifer, do you wonder why Jethro's mind chose 1997 to go back to?"

She shook her head. "No, Duck, I'm not sure. I would have expected him to go back to 1991; it would seem more likely considering the circumstances." Jenny froze. What would have been worse - Jethro only remembering half of their time together, or not remembering her at all?

"He spent every day in that hospital room, by your bedside. I caught him one night kissing your forehead as you slept. Like your recent kidnapping, Jenny, it was after you nearly dying then that Jethro realised that he didn't just care about you as a partner but had romantic feelings for you."

"So the reason why he doesn't remember is because of me?"

Ducky smiled and kissed her on the head. She felt like such a child around him sometimes. He didn't seem to mind. "It seems to me that the coma back in '91 was Jethro not wanting to wake up to a life without his family. This coma and his memory loss could be his mind trying to punish itself. He still cares deeply for his wife; I have no doubt that Jethro would still love his wife and daughter. But Jennifer you need to understand that Jethro loves you, and you can push him away all you like, but I doubt he's going to let you go a second time."

Jenny laughed as Ducky left and took her bottle of bourbon with him. She guessed she would have to go to the hospital again.

X

Leroy Jethro Gibbs was bored, so much so that he was currently putting coins in the glass of water the nurses had given him. He had hoped that Jenny would come by and see him again, he missed her. It felt so unnatural that she wouldn't be with him, wouldn't be sat right by him exchanging jokes and old movie quotes. He supposed she had a whole agency to run now. He hated that things had changed so much.

"Hey you."

Jethro sat up sharply and grinned when he saw that Jenny was here to see him. She was hanging by the doorway; dressed in the clothes he had grown accustomed to when she had been his partner - shirt, jeans, heels. A jacket slung over one arm. Her gun and badge were on her hip. If it hadn't have been for the short hair, he would have thought yesterday was a dream.

"Hey yourself." He noticed that her eyes were red. "You've been crying, Shepard. Do you need to tell me something? I'm not going to be able to play the violin again, am I?"

She chuckled through her tears and perched on the edge of his bed. She kept averting his eyes, and he didn't like that. He had rarely seen Jenny cry. The only times he had, he had been straight there to comfort her. Leaning over, he touched her hand. She jumped like she had been shocked, but eventually calmed down enough to allow him to hold her hand.

"Do I need to take out my SIG and shoot someone, Jen?"

She smiled weakly at him, before shaking her head. What had happened in the last twenty-four hours since she had visited? He knew _he _hadn't done anything since then. She brushed some red hair behind her ear, a little fire returning to her eyes. As she finally met his gaze, Jethro knew what this was about. He'd seen that look before, on other women he had not fully informed about his past.

"Shannon and Kelly."

Jenny nodded, exhaling. Why had he never told her before? He trusted Jenny with his life, and if her lie yesterday was to be believed then they had been involved, sexually or even romantically. Jethro was getting more confused by the hour - he wished Jenny would fill him in on the rest of their partnership, a timeline of events so he could get to grip with all his emotions. Get all his Jenny ducks in a row.

Looking up, he realised that Jenny was waiting for him to explain. She probably knew it all, had read the case file, maybe even talked to Mike Franks. But she wanted to hear it from him. He bowed his head. "I met Shannon in my home town, we started dating. Fell in love, got married, had Kelly. It was a good marriage, the times that I was there, anyway. I was deployed when they were murdered." His tone grew bitter; memories he wished he had forgotten coming back to him. "Their deaths…that's why I became a NCIS Agent."

Jenny looked at their encased hands and squeezed, offering him a little comfort. He squeezed back, liking her touch. Shannon reminded him heavily of Jenny - shouldn't it be the other way around? "I can't tell you why I didn't tell you about them. I don't tell a lot of people, I remarried quickly after they passed. I tried to move on from the pain as quickly as I could, but I don't think I ever did."

Jenny nodded, looking away from him again. She seemed…disappointed in his answer. Probably disappointed that he had never told her before. Maybe it had never been the right time to tell her… yeah, that made his gut feel happy. But as it didn't seem that Jenny was going to share the intimate details of their intimacy, he needed to focus on what he did know about Jenny, what he did know about their relationship. He did know that grief was something they had in common.

"You were my second partner at NCIS. I don't know how many I've had since." Jenny flinched, as if sensing a double meaning in his words. "The reason I wanted you as my partner, other than your talent and the way we worked together, was this look in your eyes, Jen. The look that I had just after I lost Shannon and Kelly." Jenny flinched again. "You told me once you lost someone. Did you ever tell me who, and who they were to you?"

As Jenny's face fell, he realised that she never had. So he was doing better than his previous self with Jenny - that made him happy. She squeezed his hand again. "Let's go for a walk."

X

The nurse didn't know, but Jenny and Jethro were in the outside cafeteria, drinking weak coffee and eating a wide collection of jello. Both Jenny and Jethro were upset that there hadn't been any ice cream on offer. Jethro was in a stolen pair of scrubs, digging into the jello with gusto. Jenny was toying with it, hating that this was how she was telling Jethro about her father. But he had finally told her about Shannon - not that it made things any better - so she needed to tell him her story now.

"While I appreciate the jello, Shepard, an explanation was what I was after. When you're ready."

Jenny nodded and licked her lips. She decided she might as well get it over and done with. "The year before I joined NCIS…I lost my father." She swallowed and continued on. "I was a Daddy's girl; I loved my father more than anything. He was…everything. When my parents got divorced and my Mom got custody, I was devastated."

Jethro smiled sympathetically at her. "I'm sorry, Jenny."

She could see a curious glint in his eyes, and Jenny smiled sadly as she realised that Jethro knew very little about her past. The same amount as she knew about his, it seemed. Maybe they were meant for each other. No, Jethro was meant for someone else, someone who had been taken from him. She was just a poor man's replacement.

"I came to DC for College, and I saw him all the time. He made me drop out of law school because it was making me miserable, and he made me stay with him until I figured out what I wanted to do with my life."

She started crying again and hated herself for it. She found herself wanting Jethro to hold her tight. "I eventually decided to study politics at Georgetown and with his job at the Pentagon we barely saw each other. I'd sleep in the library at school; he'd sleep in his study. One night I came home and found that he'd killed himself."

The tears became a flood as she remembered finding his body. This was the reason why she had never told him, because she hated showing weakness in front of him. But she needed to continue on. "If that wasn't bad enough, Army CID accused him of treason. They said he took a bribe; but no one believed it. My Grandfather didn't trust them to do their job, and his rank as a Navy High Admiral let him 'ask' NCIS to investigate. But they found it to be a suicide."

Jethro's thumb moved over the back of her hand in a soothing motion. Jenny welcomed his touch more than she should. "There's more to it than that, though, isn't there Jen?" Jethro suggested, and she nodded. This was where the little men in white coats came to take her away.

She licked her lips again. She blushed as she noticed Jethro was watching her mouth. "My Grandfather mentioned to me once, when I talked about Dad acting weird, that an old friend of his was in town when he died. Apparently, Rene Benoit had always had that effect on my father."

"Who is he?"

Jenny winced. "After some digging, I found out that Rene Benoit is better known as La Grenouille, the biggest arms dealer in Europe."

Jethro wrinkled his nose. "The biggest arms dealer in Europe is called 'The Frog? How pathetic a name is that?"

Jenny rolled her eyes at him. "He's _French_, Jethro, it makes sense. I'm surprised you even knew what that word meant; your French is extremely…limited."

"I can speak perfect Russian, thank you Probie. It's not like we ended up working in France!" Jenny's face must have fallen and she cursed herself for losing her composure at the idea of Paris. Jethro caught onto it immediately, and turned to her with that wolf like grin of his. "France? Really? Anywhere in particular?" She shook her head, and thankfully Jethro got back to what was important. "Okay, so Frog Man is an evil arms dealer. Let me guess, Army CID think that he bribed your Dad?"

Jenny nodded, leaning over to put her other hand in Jethro's. He smiled at the simple touch, and Jenny couldn't resist it. She needed him. "You've got it." Jenny went to lick her lips again, but stopped herself just in time. "I know it sounds crazy, but I don't think that my father took a bribe, or killed himself. I personally believe that Rene Benoit murdered my father because he wouldn't take the bribe on arms dealing laws."

There. She had said it now. She ran her tongue over her teeth as she waited for Jethro's response. There was none coming. Was he trying to work through her theory? Or was he trying to wrack his brain for memories of them in France? Jenny hoped for the former, and decided to add more to her story in case it was the latter.

"I originally joined NCIS to do a better job than those idiots who said it was suicide. I needed a purpose, and it worked. Eventually, my purpose became to track Benoit down, dismantle his network and get him back for what he did to me. I became Director so I had the resources to make that happen."

A smile broke over Jethro's face. "Oh thank God! I thought you'd turned all ass kisser politician on me, Shepard." She joined in his smile. "Now revenge is something a little more down my alley. You ever seen Fro- Benoit in person?"

Jenny nodded. This was when things got complicated. Best to simplify the two times she had dealt with him. "The first time was when I was in Toulon. I was on a date, and he came back from the bathroom to say that he'd had the strangest conversation with this guy. He pointed him out, and it was Benoit. I recognised pictures of him from my father's files. He didn't do anything physically, just freaked the both of us out."

Jethro nodded, his smile fading. "You still seeing this guy?"

Jenny chuckled. Jethro was focussing on the wrong thing, but it was making her smile. She had to thank him for that. "No, no. That ended a long time ago."

"Really?" Jethro's grin was beaming wide, happy that the guy wasn't in her life. _Little does he know_, Jenny thought. She remembered that night in Toulon, her and Jethro's first anniversary. It had been a wonderful evening until Benoit had shown up and brought up both their fears that they would lose each other. Jenny had considered that a personal threat against Jethro, and she had never forgotten it.

"The second time was when I was running an arms smuggling operation, obviously trying to catch buyers. You and me, we hadn't been partners for a few months. I caught sight of him on a plane, but I had to chase after the guy I had evidence for. Good thing I did, as I ran into a Mossad officer I knew a little." Jenny smiled. She'd seen Ziva David a few times through their operations in Europe. Of course, it wasn't until after 9/11 that they had actually started working together. It had been her most successful partnership - she hadn't had her heart broken when she and Ziva had parted ways.

Jethro nodded, taking all this new information in. "So what's your game plan with Benoit? How we going to frog nap him?"

Jenny shook her head. They should be focussing on the bomb on one of their navy ships, not start working up possible operation ideas about something that would probably never work. _She _should be focussing on the potential loss of life in the Navy, not worrying about her relationship with Jethro.

Anyway, she only had information, not a construct. "He's elusive. It's how he hasn't been caught all these years. His daughter, though, works as a Doctor here in DC - Jeanne Benoit. Cynthia sprained her ankle last month and she treated her."

He didn't ask who Cynthia was, just accepted the information readily. He had been doing that a lot lately - she felt for him."Well put someone undercover with her. That'll lead you to the father. Put pressure on his network so he's focussed on that and doesn't think twice about his daughter's new boyfriend. Well, until we have enough evidence on him and he doesn't see our undercover arresting his ass until it's too late."

"Jethro…" She didn't like the idea of ruining this girl's life to put her own back together. But then who was to say Jeanne Benoit would fall in love with whoever she put undercover? Just because she and Jethro had risked everything because they were in love didn't mean the same would happen this time.

If the old Jethro was here, he'd try and talk her out of it. Argue about the dangers of undercover work, about how revenge never worked out well. He had always been a do-as-I-say type of guy - that was how Paris had happened.

"I get it, you've got concerns. You're a fancy pants Director now, you have to have concerns or you get crucified." She hated his smirk. She wanted to kiss it right off his face. "If you don't do something, it'll eat you up inside. I took action against the man who took my family away, and although it didn't bring them back it made me feel a whole lot better that he was burning in hell."

There were too many revelations that day. Too many revelations. Her entire relationship with Jethro was being blown to pieces and all they had were fragments of their working relationship.

"Benoit made the move coming to you in Toulon. He brought it on himself. We won't harm his daughter, just get close to her. Let's do this, Jen. Your position means we can put him away for a good long time." Jethro's eyes started to sparkle. "We can do this op together, Shepard, like old times. You can't tell me that that doesn't tempt you. The idea of working with me again, of us being partners again?"

Jenny should be responsible, should be the better person and not let her feelings crawl all over her. But Paris was over and now she knew he had never truly… she just wanted to go back to the time he was in, when they both partners and friends and it wasn't so complicated. Where she was his probie, and not his lover. She wanted to be reckless and efficient and have Jethro by her side in a way that worked well.

"Let's do it."

Jethro clapped his hands and raised them in the air, happy with her decision. "Fantastic! Now that I've got you out of your office and back in the field…" Oh when he regained his memory he was going to have a field day with what she had done. "What happened in France?"

Maybe this was their second chance, to repair their relationship without opening up their hearts to all the pain it seemed to cause. Jenny wondered if their renewed romance would have lasted anyway. Jethro was still in love with Shannon, and always would be. She couldn't compete with that memory. But they could be partners, and that was better than what they had.

"Nothing. Just foreign operations and you trying to speak very bad French."

Jethro laughed; something still on his mind. She could see the cogs whirring in his head. "What am I missing, Jen? Apart from nine years. What am I missing between us?"

She reached over and kissed him on the cheek. This was for the best; they would hurt each other too much if they got back together. Now she knew about Shannon, she could see that it would never work. She was doing what was best for her. Which always made her miserable, but was necessary.

"We just grew apart." She smiled at him. "But I missed you, Jethro. I really missed you."

At least _that _wasn't a lie.


	3. Chapter 3

**Please Don't Remember Me by DD Agent**

_I do not own NCIS or any of its characters, or its settings - all belongs to the lovely folks at CBS._

_Thank you to MissJayne, left my heart in Paris, lachildress, Mrs. Elizabeth Gibbs, Kalyra-Anna and HuddyJibbsAddict for reviewing! They were awesome and I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!_

_Onto Chap 3, and the plot thickens even further! Enjoy! _

**_Chapter Three_**

He had been focussed on the wrong memories. He had been too focussed on finding out what Jenny was keeping from him. He hadn't been focussed on what had caused the explosion and now an entire ship had been destroyed. It was all his damn fault, why couldn't he have kept his eye on the ball?

He heard someone come into his room, and Jethro hoped it wasn't Tony, or Doctor Charming, or even Ducky. He didn't want to see anyone. He was sitting in the dark, eyes half closed with a few pinpricks of tears. He felt a pair of hands linger on his shoulders, and he knew it was Jenny. She wrapped her arms around him, pushing her head against his. Jethro settled against her body, feeling himself relax against her.

"It's not your fault, Jethro."

He shook his head. "It is. I should have been more focussed on the case."

He felt his heart leap as Jenny nuzzled his neck. He could feel her eyelashes against his skin, feel her lips press against his collar hesitantly. His stomach rolled into knots as her cheek rubbed against the small hairs at the back of his neck. He could feel her smooth hair entangle with his. Her hands brushed the collar of his scrubs, the smooth pads of her fingers running up and down his tender skin.

"Jenny," he whispered in a strangled groan, wanting her hands to move over him, to reassure him the way he had done for her when she had told him about her father. He wanted her skin pressed against his; he craved her, needed her.

"You could have remembered, Jethro, and the outcome could still have been the same," Jenny tried, her breath making his skin twitch. She had no idea what she did to him, the way that even he, without any memories whatsoever, reacted to her.

He nodded and moved forwards, and Jenny curled her body around him, trying to reassure him. His heart still felt heavy. "I could have saved some lives."

"We can't second guess ourselves, Jethro; we've got no time for that." Jenny's mouth moved to his ear lobe. His groin ached as he felt her lips connect with his skin. "We have to pick ourselves back up, and move onto the next case. The next victim. The next bastard."

Jethro groaned as he felt her hand move down his chest. She reached for his hand, her fingers entangling with his. His grip was slack. With his memory loss and this blow, he felt he couldn't do this anymore. And he told her that.

He felt Jenny bump against his head, and Jethro finally opened his eyes to look at her. Her green orbs looked so worried; her mouth was pressed into him like _she _was looking for reassurance. His hand moved up to cup her face, a solitary finger stroking her cheek.

"You remember that night in Autopsy? Barely any clothes, we were lying on that slab soaking wet because you wanted to help me deal with Ducky cutting open bodies." Jethro nodded. "You made a promise to me. You promised that you would never leave me. I can't do this Benoit op without you. You and me, Jethro. Together."

He remembered that day, remembered how Jenny had looked at him, how he had felt about her. She was his partner and always would be.

"I'm not going anywhere."

He didn't know how long they sat together, Jenny wrapped around him. What he did know was that it had taken him way too long to realise that it was Jenny's tears dripping down his neck.

X

Jenny Shepard was trying to compose herself in the elevator before she walked out onto the bullpen. Her heart was racing, her skin felt flushed. She had left Jethro in his hospital room, practically forced him into bed so he could get some sleep. He had kissed her wrist as she had departed, and she had smiled at him with the knowledge that everything was going to be alright.

Then she had got into the Navy Yard, and started having a panic attack. She was so used to comforting him with her entire body, using every sense to envelop him. He did it too; they were so intimate when they were together. For a few moments, Jenny forgot every reason why she was trying to force distance between them, why she was trying to force a professional relationship into something that had been emotional from the first moment they had met. Eventually she had recovered herself, but the shock of how quickly she slipped into familiar patterns terrified her.

She switched the elevator back to on and walked out. The office was quiet, subdued as the MCRT started packing up their files. They weren't getting punished for not solving the case in time, there was no way to know what would have happened if Jethro had even remembered. However, the SecNav was resigning over the incident and Jenny had a meeting with the new one, Phillip Davenport, tomorrow morning. However, she had something else to deal with first.

Abby, Tim, Ziva and Tony were waiting in their little block of desks, solemnly packing up files and not saying a word. It wasn't often that they failed, and all of them hated it when it happened. They all looked at Jenny as she stood in front of them, waiting for her to spill the news about Jethro and when he was coming back to work.

"Special Agent Gibbs is being kept in the hospital for another couple of days, but then they're happy to release him."

Tony nodded, and started packing up more files into boxes. Abby looked around before raising her hand. "Director…does Gibbs remember anything?"

Jenny sighed. She noticed that Ducky and Palmer had come up from Autopsy to join her briefing. The ME nodded to her as he took Tim's chair. "Gibbs doesn't remember anything past the January of '97. I think his doctors are hoping that once they release him, more memories will come back."

Ducky coughed from behind them and stood up. He wrapped an arm around Abby, who immediately went for a hug. "Jethro will be fine, he just needs time. We'll organise him to come in and see you all, but not too soon. He needs time to adjust to his memories - they may come all at once, or they could not come at all."

They all heard Abby sob a little at the idea that Jethro would never remember anything. It seemed Jenny was the only one who would be okay with that prospect. She swallowed and turned to Tony. "Till then, Agent DiNozzo. You're in charge of the Major Case Response Team. Once Gibbs is on the mend, we'll ask if he wants to return."

"Is there a chance he wouldn't?" Abby asked, her hands starting to shake. Jenny walked over and took them, squeezing them tight. The young scientist seemed glad for the contact.

"Right now, Leroy Jethro Gibbs has lost nine years of his life. It's a lot to lose, and it's not coming back immediately. He could be back next week with a headache and head slapping Agent DiNozzo. Or he could decide to retire…it'll be up to him." Jenny bumped Abby on the chin. "I suggest we all get back to work."

"What about a get well soon card?" Abby suggested. "A huge one that plays music. I'm sure our Gibbs would hate it, but he's not our Gibbs anymore. He's younger Gibbs."

Jenny thought it over for a moment. Gibbs would _hate _it, of that she was sure. But it would certainly be amusing to see his reaction. "Do it, Abby. Let me know when you want me to sign it."

She patted the brunette on the shoulder and walked in the direction of her office. She knew the team needed to discuss things, and she didn't want to be there while they discussed Jethro. And her. She knew that since she had begun as Director the gossip mill had been whirring around with possibilities of her and Jethro having some torrid past and an even more torrid present. She had no doubt that her staff were wondering how she was taking this.

"Jennifer, may I have a word?"

Jenny turned around and faced Ducky. She noticed that he was frowning at her again, and she wondered what sort of lecture she was in for this time. She loved Ducky, like a daughter, but she knew what she was doing with Jethro. It was best to keep things professional, and regain the relationship she had lost after too many moments of lust and weakness.

"Of course, Doctor Mallard," Jenny said, setting the tone for the conversation. She then turned to Cynthia, who looked as worried as Tony. "Could you bring us a pot of tea, please Cynthia?"

Her assistant smiled at her. "Of course, Director. You look nice today, by the way."

She was wearing a simple pair of slacks and a plain blouse. Her coat was her leather jacket she had dug out the back of her wardrobe - it was casual and it felt good in the cold weather. It was a dismal May. In her office, she pulled it off and draped it over her chair. She then went over to the sofa and Ducky joined her. They both smiled at Cynthia as she passed them each a cup of tea and went back outside to field calls for the Director.

Ducky took a small sip of his tea before turning to her. Jenny knew this was going to be bad, she could see the look on his face. "I called Doctor Gelfand today and he said that Jethro's wounds are healing well. Lord knows Jethro's a strong man, physically. I'm surprised the coffee in his blood stream isn't fighting the medicine though."

Jenny laughed. "They're not letting him have any. I think he's going to go insane before long."

"Yes, indeed." Ducky took another small sip. Jenny recognised the act of a man who was being polite and had a favour to ask. She had had many senators and congressmen sit on that sofa sit, politely drink their coffee and look down her blouse whilst trying to ask for a date. Ducky smacked his lips and Jenny knew it was coming. "Doctor Gelfand is quite happy to let him go the day after tomorrow. They think it may aid his memory loss if he's around familiar surroundings."

Jenny had to agree. The hospital was doing nothing for his memory, even seeing her and Ducky hadn't sparked off anything. Tony had told her that when he had gone to visit him, there hadn't been any recognition either. Maybe if he trod the boards of the memories, then he would remember more of his life. Jenny was so thankful she had no upcoming visits to Paris.

"I am slightly concerned about Jethro staying on his own. He's still healing, mentally as well as physically. I don't want him stuck in that damn basement, isolating himself off because he can't remember his third wife."

She nodded again. She hadn't thought about it like that, but Jethro was quite a solitary creature. She had no doubt that he would bury himself in his boat if he was left alone. That was when she realised what Ducky was asking her, and she shook her head so much it nearly came off her neck.

"No."

"_Yes_. It'll be better for him if he stays with you, Jenny."

She shook her head, turning a Gibbs stare onto Ducky. She forgot it didn't work on the gentle medical examiner. "He could stay with you, Duck! You're a Doctor, that would be much better for his recovery."

Ducky smiled faintly and took Jenny's hand. He couldn't ask her to do this. She knew she couldn't handle it. "Jennifer, I would love to take Jethro in. But I don't think a house guest would help my Mother with her Alzheimers, and that environment certainly wouldn't help Jethro. He has such a rapport with you, it'll help him no end to be with you."

She shifted deeper in her seat. "Ducky, I've decided to have a purely platonic relationship with Jethro. You can disagree with it all you like, but our romance has caused both of us nothing but trouble." Jenny sighed. "Living with Jethro? It's just…"

"Too tempting to let it more than platonic?"

Jenny nodded. It wouldn't just be the memories of them living together in Paris that would bleed through. It would be coming home to him every day. It would be seeing him coming out of the shower in nothing but a towel. It would be knowing he was just across the hall, and if she wanted to she could crawl into bed with him.

"Maybe living together would help reinforce this platonic relationship? You'll certainly know if you can survive your feelings for him if you can survive living together."

She knew Ducky was playing with her, persuading her to take Jethro into her life. But she did like the idea of making sure she could keep her hands off of him. She would need to when they started the Benoit Op together.

"Okay," Jenny smiled as she watched the glint in Ducky's eye appear. This would backfire on him. She wouldn't be tempted into falling in love with Jethro all over again. She couldn't let herself. "He can stay with me."

X

Leroy Jethro Gibbs was an exceptionally happy man, for he was leaving hospital today. He didn't know where he was going afterwards, Ducky had told him when he had visited the day before that it wouldn't be a good idea for him to stay on his own. He'd just accepted it, and looked forward to his first cup of coffee after so long. Now he was waiting to get picked up, adjusting to wearing his own clothes again. Jenny had brought a pair of jeans and a polo shirt for him, but he hadn't seen her. She had just dropped them off with the nurses.

He was worried that his reaction to Jenny the other day had scared her off. He hoped that wasn't the case, but he was finding it difficult to control himself around her. She was attractive, even more so now she was age appropriate. He had always found himself thinking it wrong that he wanted to push his partner, twelve years his junior, up against any flat surface and have his way with her.

But there was something else, something more than just attraction. He was starting to have feelings for Jenny. He had started to before he had jumped nine years in the future, effectively, and every time he saw her it felt like he was punched in the gut with emotion. He knew that they had been together, in some shape or form. He was _desperate _to know what had happened between them.

"Hey soldier," greeted a sultry voice from the doorway, and Jethro looked over to see Jenny Shepard waiting in the doorway. Round one to her.

"Hey yourself," he greeted as nonchalantly as he could. He reached over for a hug, and Jenny slipped into his arms easily. He held her for as long as he dared, his hands resting on the small of her back. She smelled like French perfume, like she always smelled and Jethro decided to rest his head in the crook of her neck. It felt too damn good to hold her.

They eventually pulled back, and Jenny adjusted his collar. Something seemed off with her. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "You just don't smell like sawdust is all. I've got used to you smelling like sawdust."

Jethro smiled. "Need to get back to boat building."

He watched as Jenny shook her head, pushing one hand against his chest. "You are _not _building a boat in my basement."

His heart leapt in that moment. Did that mean - "I'm living with you?"

Jenny looked down at the ground, and he watched as a blush sprung up on her cheeks. She was too damn cute for words some times. "If you want. I've got a spare bedroom you can stay in, until you feel up to living on your own again."

"Thank you, Jen." Now he could finally find out what happened between them.

Jethro slid an arm around Jenny's waist and started moving her out of the hospital room. The flowers he had been given had been disposed of, all that he was bringing with him was the giant novelty singing card that was signed by people he didn't know. Still, it was good to know that he had friends. Especially the stunning redhead escorting him to her bed. Well, bedroom. _Well_, house.

"Director, are you sure you'll be okay taking care of Special Agent Gibbs?" Doctor Gelfand asked as Jenny signed Jethro's release papers. Jethro didn't like the guy. He didn't like the way he was staring at Jenny, it made him feel damn uncomfortable.

She smiled at the Doctor. "I'll be fine. I've got plenty of coffee in, so I should be okay. Is that everything I need to do to bring him home?"

Doctor Charming opened up his lab coat and handed Jenny his card. Jethro felt the urge to grab it and tear it into a million pieces. He knew he shouldn't feel jealous, he didn't remember anything of a romantic past to suggest why he should. But he cared for her, was attracted to her, and he…he wanted to explore the idea of them.

"Here's my card, if you need anything."

Jenny bobbed her head. "Thank you, Doctor Gelfand. But I'm sure if I've got any questions, I can just run them past Doctor Mallard. I wouldn't want to disturb you."

He had never been more proud of his partner as she put the Doctor's card back on the table and walked out with him. He moved past the impulse to smirk at the good Doctor. They walked out of the hospital where a Lincoln town car was waiting for them. An agent that looked mildly familiar to Jethro stepped out of the passenger door and opened the back for Jenny and himself.

"Director Shepard. Agent Gibbs."

Jenny elegantly stepped into the car, moving across to the other side. He got in next to her, brushing his hand against hers. The agent moved through into the passenger side again and turned back to talk to Jenny.

"Home, Director?"

Jenny shifted in her seat. "Yes, Wesley, thank you. We'll just order take out when we get in."

Agent Wesley nodded and pulled up the partition of the car. Jethro put his arms on the back of the car seats, and ended up running his fingers over Jenny's shoulder. He tugged her to move a little to him and she did. He managed to wrap an arm around her, keeping her close.

"You know, I don't know any of the names on that card," Jethro admitted, looking at it in the bottom of the car.

Jenny nodded and leaned her head against his chest. "Well how about in a week or so we go into work and you can put faces to the names?"

"Sounds good to me."

He watched with a smile as Jenny closed her eyes against his chest. His hand stroked her shoulder, and Jethro fell for her as he watched her sleep against him. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful. He couldn't quite believe how quickly his feelings had changed to something so different from lust and partnership. Jethro supposed he was building on nine years of unaccounted for emotion.

Too quickly they pulled outside of Jenny's house and he had to wake her. He stroked her cheek until she stirred, looking at him with a hazy smile that pulled at his heart. He didn't know what had happened to them, didn't know why Jenny was lying to them about their previous relationship. But he knew he didn't want anything else but her.

He didn't want anything else but to watch her wake up every morning.

"Sorry, Jethro," Jenny whispered, patting him on the chest. "Let's get inside, shall we?"

Jethro had been expecting a small out of the way loft, maybe a penthouse suite in an apartment building. Not the lofty Georgetown house with what appeared to be four floors and a sizeable garden out the back. She nodded to her security detail as she dragged him into what was going to be his home for the time being, and he just followed along.

She used her key to unlock the heavy door and he stepped inside. It was spacious, with a touch of old money. He could see an expensive looking study down the hall, and several no doubt priceless pieces of art up the stairs and onto the first floor.

"Ducky went over to your place yesterday and brought you some clothes, some books and things," Jenny gestured to the two duffel bags in her hallway. "We can always go and get some other stuff…I'm tempted to take you shopping."

Jethro snorted, and looked at Jenny as she closed the door. She seemed so alive in her own space. She was magnificent. "What would you put me in?"

"Shirts, ties. But loose. You always looked better with a loose tie." Jenny reached down into her own bag and handed him a pair of glasses. "You wear reading glasses now. Don't lose 'em."

Jethro nodded and put them in his pocket. He reached over and took the two duffel bags. Jenny pointed up the stairs. "The first door on your right is the spare bedroom, which is now your room. I'll go call for some take out, and then I can show you more of the house."

He nodded again and started moving up the stairs. Jenny headed towards what looked like the kitchen. Jethro had never been in Jenny's house before, and he was tempted to see what it was like, the hidden home of Jenny Shepard. He walked up the stairs until he got to the first floor, and found more expensive pieces of art. No family photographs, no books from what he could see.

The spare bedroom he dumped his duffel bags inside was pretty bare. It was nice, the bed was a plain single and there was a large empty book case where he could put his novels on. But it had no character. From the doorway, he could see another bedroom across the hall. Hearing Jenny downstairs, Jethro walked across the hallway and pushed open the door.

Jenny's bedroom was completely different from the rest of the house. The furniture was old, but piles of books spilled out from shelves. A few photographs were on the dresser, but from faint dust marks it looked like there had been others she had removed. Jethro was starting to get a little pissed off with her attempts to erase their history together. What could have gone so wrong that she wanted to forget what happened between them?"

_"I am never, ever, letting you go Shepard!"_

_Jethro lifted Jenny into his arms, and grinned as she wrapped her legs tight around him, clinging onto him. Her arms threaded themselves around his neck, and her mouth wouldn't let go of his. They were in the rare interlude between European missions, a weekend back in DC for a debriefing. They hadn't made love in a few hours, and Jethro was starting to get withdrawal symptoms from his redheaded lover. _

_"I love you, Jen," he whispered as he started ripping off her shirt, before letting himself be pinned to her bed. She pulled off the skimpy material, leaving her in just a red plunge bra. His hands roamed her stomach and touched her breasts, manipulating her skin for his own ends. _

_Her mouth moved to nip at his collarbone, and his hands reached over to caress her ass. He started to push her jeans down her thighs, needing the skin on skin contact he craved. _

_"I love you too, Jethro."_

_Spinning them over so he was on top of her, Jethro pressed butterfly kisses to her throat as he tore off his own shirt and pressed her to the sheets, desperate to have her again. He needed her, more than he had ever needed anyone. _

"Jethro?"

He was startled from the first memory he had recovered since the explosion, and looked to see Jenny standing in the doorway. He could still feel the emotions course through him, could still remember how it felt to be holding her and touching her bare skin. "Sorry," he swallowed. "Was looking for your lingerie drawer."

Jenny smacked him on the shoulder, shaking her head. But he didn't miss the fear in her eyes. "Food is on its way. I'll give you the grand tour if you like."

"Sounds good."

What was she so afraid of? Jethro didn't know the answer to that. What he did know now was that he and Jenny had been in love. That single thought made his entire heart lift. He and Jenny. His adorable, beautiful, intelligent Probie who drove him crazy both in good and bad ways had fallen in love with him just as much as he had fallen in love with her. He felt feelings stir inside him, remembering how it felt to love her.

Now he just needed to make Jenny remember too.


	4. Chapter 4

**Please Don't Remember Me by DD Agent**

_I do not own NCIS or any of its characters, or its settings - all belongs to the lovely folks at CBS._

_Thank you to Calliatra for helping me on this chapter. I didn't know where to go till we talked it over. So thank you! I now have the next few chapters planned, and there is some good stuff coming! Thank you also to The Breakfast Genie, maggie [thanks for noticing the '97 Series ref!], Tempe4Booth, NCISjennygibbsloversforever, HuddyJibbsAddict, Mrs. Elizabeth Gibbs, .02 and left my heart in Paris. You all left such awesome reviews! _

_Hope you all enjoy! _

**_Chapter Four_**

Leroy Jethro Gibbs hadn't slept very well. How could he, with images of him and Jenny Shepard making love on her bed running through his head? He'd spent most of the night walking across his room, softly padding in the boxers and t-shirt he had found in his duffel bag. His feelings had become more pronounced with every step, and at one point he had slowly opened his door and pushed open Jenny's to watch her sleep. She looked so calm.

He was now down in the kitchen making himself a cup of coffee. Jenny had bought his Jamaican blend, and the taste was incredible. He had missed coffee. Looking around the kitchen, he frowned. The place was all expensive, modern stuff. Not like his own basic kitchen. There weren't even any photographs on the refrigerator.

Jethro wondered if his own fridge still had the photo Pacci had taken of him and Jenny at her birthday party last year.

"But it wasn't last year," Jethro cursed, slamming his coffee mug down on the kitchen table. He had lost nine years of his life and only had one memory. Things still didn't make sense to him.

Moving up, he decided to check the fridge for anything he could cook for breakfast. It was four o'clock in the morning, but he figured Jenny would have to get up early for work. Or was it that he knew? While searching through piles of fruit and other healthy crap, Jethro realised something was ringing. After searching around, he finally found Jenny's mobile phone. Someone called Cynthia was calling.

"Hello?" he asked as he answered the phone.

_"Hello? This is Cynthia Sumner, Director Shepard's assistant. Is she around?"_

Cynthia was the one who had sprained her ankle and had been treated by the Frog's daughter. He was putting things together - he was proud of himself. He became more proud as a plan started to form in his mind about how to spend the day. "I'm afraid, Ms Sumner, that Director Shepard won't be coming in today."

_"__Special Agent Gibbs?"_

Her harsh tone suggested a pretty volatile relationship. Jethro doubted that Jenny would let him date her assistant, so she must only know him from work. He had always tried to be nice to Tom Morrow's assistant; he didn't know why he would be so different for the person who worked for Jenny. Maybe over the nine years he'd become a bit more of a bastard.

"Yeah, it's me. Director Shepard is taking a personal day to help me regroup, see if I can remember a few things." He paused. "Thank you, Cynthia, for checking up on her. Is there a message that I can pass on?"

_"Just that two of her meetings cancelled. I was calling to see if she wanted me to push things around so she could spend the day helping you out." _He cursed. He heard chuckling on the other end of the phone. He could see why Jenny liked Cynthia. She was very much like her boss. _"I think that's the first time you've ever said thank you to me, Special Agent Gibbs."_

"First time for everything." He grinned, his mind drifting on how to spend his day with Jenny. On how to get close to her. "Enjoy your day, Cynthia."

_"Enjoy yours, Special Agent Gibbs."_

As he hung up on Cynthia, he grinned. Today would be the perfect day to start putting his plan into action. His plan to get Jenny to realise that whatever reason she was keeping their past from him was bogus and that she only wanted to be with him. Because he was pretty sure he only wanted to be with her.

At about half six, he heard padding on the stairs. Jenny soon came through the kitchen door and he watched as her breath caught. She smiled, wrapping the robe around herself, obviously forgetting that he was staying with her. In that moment, Jethro discovered that his partner liked wearing silk negligees to bed. He could get behind that.

"Morning."

"Morning," Jenny whispered, licking her lips and heading to the coffee pot. "Where did you get the paper?"

"Hector, your security detail, got it for me. I gave him ten dollars and he bought that and breakfast for the guys," Jethro admitted, before putting the paper down. "Cynthia called. Two of your meetings cancelled."

Jenny looked up sceptically from the coffee pot, her eyes narrowing. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Jethro smiled. He could see a smirk forming on Jenny's lips, she knew him too well. God, how long were her legs? They seemed to go on forever. The pink silk and lace she was wearing barely covered her ass. Was she going to be wearing that stuff every day? He hoped so. "She's moved some things around so we can spend the day together."

Jenny walked over and hit him with the paper. Jethro just smiled. "Come on, I need new clothes! I was hoping we could go shopping." That brought a smile to her face. "_After_ breakfast. What do you usually have for breakfast anyway?"

Jenny took a sip of her coffee. "Usually a slice of wholemeal toast, if I eat breakfast at all. At weekends I usually eat a fruit medley and some pro-biotic yoghurt."

Jethro snorted into his coffee, and Jenny hit him with the paper again. "Seriously? That's not food."

"It keeps me healthy, thank you very much. And it keeps my legs looking like they are, which _you_ should appreciate," Jenny glared at him and Jethro shifted in his seat, realising she had noticed his staring. "So what would you count as breakfast?"

He grinned. "Pancakes. Bacon. Waffles. Enough syrup to drown in." He licked his lips at her and watched her blush. "Coffee. Cornerstone of a decent breakfast." Jethro stood up from his chair and moved next to hers. He put his hands on Jenny's shoulders and leaned down to smile at her. "How about you go jump in the shower, and I'll make breakfast?"

Jenny stood up, mere inches from him. He had to wait. Forcing his mouth on hers would satisfy his immediate urge but it wouldn't help her issues with their relationship. He had to play the long game, had to seduce her until it was _her_ who was pushing _him_ onto the kitchen table.

"Don't burn the house down."

He watched as Jenny walked out of the kitchen, and he got a great look at her ass. He was in dangerous territory, but he had known that from the start with Jenny Shepard.

Jethro put on another pot of coffee and started making the pancakes. He'd make them a great breakfast, then they'd go out shopping. By the time they went to bed, he would have set up the first of his Jenny ducks.

Hector, Jenny's chief security detail, had knocked on the door halfway into preparing breakfast, and the two had got talking about general NCIS business and gossip. It was only after he heard the smoke alarm and had to stop the detail from rushing the house that he realised that he had left the bacon cooking. Running in, he witnessed Jenny pulling the bacon out from under the grill and opening her kitchen door to let the smoke out.

"This is your idea of not burning the house down?"

She pushed him against the refrigerator, a glare he recognised as his own carved into her face. He looked down, the gaze still pretty effective considering Jenny was dripping wet and wearing only a towel. That covered even less than her robe.

"Did you even think when you went outside to talk to my security detail?"

Jenny moved to head slap him with the hand not holding her towel, but he just grabbed it in time and pulled her flush against him. It was then that Jenny swallowed and seemed to realise she was only in a towel.

He watched her process the scene, watched her lips open and close. "I better go get dressed."

So far living together was going well.

X

"We need to get proper pancake mix. And decent bacon. And bourbon. Do you have bourbon?"

"Of course I have bourbon. Don't be stupid," Jenny said, shaking her head at Jethro but smiling nevertheless.

So far, Ducky's attempts to get them back together were working well. Now Jethro seemed fairly settled, they were back to their flirty selves of '97, with the added sexual tension of living together. Jenny thought this was what Paris would have been like had they not slept together in Marseille. She needed to buy proper pyjamas - she couldn't keep running around in silk negligees. Or her towels. She had been so close to kissing Jethro twice already that morning. Not good.

"You wrote a list of what clothes you need?" Jenny asked as they walked down another DC street. After both of them had ate breakfast and dressed, they had decided to go shopping just the two of them. Well, nearly. Her security detail was keeping a close eye on her - especially since Jethro didn't have his gun. She knew he missed it.

Jethro raised his eyebrows at Jenny. "I'm a guy. I don't make lists. I guess I need some new underwear, new pyjama bottoms." He shrugged. "A new look. I'm not happy with these polo shirts. I miss my normal shirts."

Jenny nodded, thinking about where they could go. The perfect place struck her and she reached for his hand, dragging him along another street. Jenny tried not to let her emotions get ahead of her as they held hands. It had been too long since they had done that and she was enjoying it far too much.

Eventually they came in front of a men's clothing store. Jethro nodded his agreement and Jenny walked them into the shop, still holding hands. She knew he wouldn't want anything fancy, so this was perfect for him. They walked past shorts and various labelled t-shirts until they got to the suit department, reasonably priced but expertly stitched.

"I don't want to wear a monkey suit, Shepard," Jethro admitted. "I don't want to look like an FBI agent."

Jenny was still clinging to his hands, enjoying how it felt. "Do you trust me, Jethro?"

She could see him thinking it over in his head. "Yes. Mould me."

She loved bowling, sports and firing at the shooting range. But she also loved clothes, shoes and bags. Europe was a dream for her - she had brought back at least two extra bags filled with all the shopping she had done. Now she had a chance to dress Jethro and she knew exactly what to put him in. When they had been in Paris, Jethro had often worn shirts - she loved the way they rested on his shoulders. The polo shirts didn't have the same effect.

Jethro stood by the changing room doors as she handed him the clothes she thought would look good on him. He needed a look that clashed the two parts of him - his current self and the past life that he remembered. Once satisfied she had got it right, she sent Jethro to get changed. Jenny sat on one of the chairs provided near the dressing rooms and waited for him to come out. This felt too much like Paris, too much like they were a couple. But _dammit _she was enjoying it.

After a minute or so, he opened the changing room door and stood for her inspection. The simple black slacks were good, shaping his ass in a way that Jenny _definitely _approved of. He wore a black shirt on top, the cuffs rolled up to his elbows and showing off his watch, the same one she had bought him in Paris. She knew he hadn't worn it in years, and Jenny cursed Ducky's meddling. She needed to keep her head together, not drift off into a Parisian fantasy.

"Are you sure about this?" Jethro looked in the mirror, not sure at all. Jenny shook off her anger at Ducky and turned back to Jethro.

"Just needs the finishing touch."

He wore a simple charcoal t-shirt under his shirt, mixing his previous styles. Jenny then put a black tie around his neck, making sure it was loose. She stood close to his shoulder as they both looked in the mirror, and he put his hands in his pockets, awkwardly posing. Jethro grinned, and she smirked at him from over his shoulder.

"You look like batman."

He chuckled. "I can live with that."

They bought some more versions of each item, Jethro having enough outfits of his new style. He actually wore the first outfit out of the store, his bags collected in one hand. He put his free arm around Jenny as they continued to walk down the street, and she didn't move away. She loved being held by him, loved that they could slip in so easily to their patterns. Her head was yelling at her to stick to the plan but she didn't have the willpower too. She loved being with him too much.

"What do _you_ need?" Jethro asked as they walked past a boutique. "Shoes?"

"Don't tempt me with shoes, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. As it is, I need to go see my dressmaker."

"Dressmaker?"

She didn't answer him until they walked a little further to a shop called 'Regents'. This was the store she bought most of her dresses from, except the one she had worn to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. Jethro opened the door for her and they went inside. Jethro didn't look impressed.

"What sort of place is this?"

"It's a dress shop, they sell custom made dresses." Jenny went over and smiled at the clerk, stating in Italian that she'd like to try her dress on. "I've had a dress on order for a while here and they called yesterday to say it's finally ready."

One of the assistants came out and led them through into the dressing rooms. Jethro sat with his bags while she went into one of the curtained areas to try on the dress she still wasn't sure about. The colour, the style - if only she still had some female friends she could ask about it. Jethro would have to do.

"Why are you ordering a dress anyway?" Jethro asked from outside.

Jenny unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it over her shoulders. She had to unbuckle her bra too as it wouldn't go with the dress. She slipped her trousers down her legs and heard a gasp from outside. She debated taking her underwear off too, just to see what the little glimpse of lacy fabric at the bottom of the dressing room would do to Jethro. But she resisted the impulse. She wasn't supposed to be flirting with him; she was supposed to keep things platonic. Like that had gone well so far.

"SecNav is throwing a party to celebrate me being Director for a year."

"Is this a pineapple and cheese affair?"

The dress slipped over her body and she threw open the curtain. "Does it look like I'm going to a pineapple and cheese affair?"

She had her answer about the dress. She watched Jethro's face light up, watched his eyes follow the pale green silk all the way down to her ankles. The dress covered her collarbone, but as she turned around to look in the mirror, she could see Jethro staring at the bare back of it.

"You look beautiful, Jenny"

She couldn't stop blushing.

X

Jethro thought the day had gone brilliantly. After seeing her in that dress they had done some shoe shopping without any complaint from him. Then Jethro had been made to wait outside while she went in another tailored store, this one focussed on nightwear. Jethro was sure she was getting proper pyjamas to wear, but he didn't care. He had the image of her in that dress, making him realise that he was ever so slowly falling in love with her.

"Bourbon?" Jenny asked, disturbing his thoughts.

"Like I'd say no."

He watched her face light up as she poured them two glasses. He was upset that Jenny would be going into work tomorrow, even if it was only for one day. Jethro had already started brain storming ideas for how he could get closer to Jenny over the weekend, things like repairing the furniture in the garden and watching a few films Tony was bringing over. Simple, but potentially romantic.

"Here you go," Jenny passed him a drink and sat next to him on the sofa. They exchanged smiles. "I had a really good time today, Jethro. Really good."

He leaned back on the sofa, resting his arm next to hers. He ran a finger down her skin and watched her shiver, but she didn't move away. Jethro considered that to be a good sign.

"Well we're staying together for a while, it's a good thing we enjoy each other's company." He coughed, and decided to put some feelers out. "I won't need to clear out to give you some alone time, will I?"

He could see Jenny work things out in her head before shifting closer to him on the sofa. "Jethro, are you trying to ask me if I'm seeing anyone?"

He smirked. "Yeah, I guess I am." He ran a finger down her arm. "You know, I showed you everything I bought today. I even showed you that fancy suit jacket you made me buy."

"So?"

He smirked. "So what's in here?"

Jethro grabbed one of her few bags and reached in to pull out the contents. Jenny leaned over and tried to get it out of his hands. "Jethro, give it back!"

Jenny was angry, but he continued on with his plan. He pulled out the top item, expecting to see pyjamas. Instead, he pulled out a lacy see through negligee that was definitely _not _meant for sleeping in. "Wow, Jen. You sure you're not seeing someone?"

She smacked him on the shoulder and shoved the negligee back into the bag. "I hate you, I really hate you."

He smirked. "No you don't." He smiled at her, resting one of his hands over hers. Two of his fingers trailed down to her pulse and felt how her heart was racing. For the moment he wasn't concerned about their past, just his present. With Jenny. "I will cook for the rest of the week if you try that on for me."

"No," Jenny flat out replied. She poked him in the chest. "No, no, and, surprisingly, no."

"I'll model the new underwear I bought."

He could see the walls he thought had been broken down start to go up again. She was trying to gather the strength to push him away and go upstairs to bed. But he couldn't let her do that; he wanted her to embrace the sexual frustration and lust that ran through them. Jethro started stroking her wrist, and he could see her start to smile.

"Red or black?"

Jethro looked down into the bag and realised there was a red one in there too. "Red, please."

Jenny poked him in the chest, before grabbing the bag and leaving her study. Jethro gulped back the rest of his bourbon and poured himself another glass. He'd have to model his new underwear, but he was okay with that. Anything to see her in that thin lace. He wasn't planning to jump her, but it would get them both worked up enough to start imagining every touch as an invitation to bed. All part of his plan.

After a few minutes, the door to the study opened again. Jethro watched as Jenny slowly walked in. It was a baby doll negligee, the lace cupping her breasts and barely grazing her thighs. She was wearing black underwear under the red lace, and Jethro gulped as she twirled. He had never seen anything sexier.

"Wow."

Jenny tossed him the packet of his new underwear. "Your turn. I'll get changed while you do."

He needed a better look at her; he couldn't let her walk out dressed like that. So he clutched his shoulder and groaned convincingly.

"Jethro?"

"Dammit," he pretended, trying to act like he was in pain. "I keep forgetting I'm not fully healed yet. I think a muscle in my neck is seizing up."

Jenny, concerned, sat behind him on the sofa. A quick glance told him that the negligee barely covered mid thigh when she was sitting. And that her nipples were pointing through the lace. "Let me see."

Once again, his plans went better than expected as Jenny started to massage his neck. She was good with her hands, her fingers and he could feel her breath on his skin as she tried to soothe the muscles in his neck and shoulders. She then moved down into his back as his cries of pain lessened, and he felt her pressed right up against him.

"You know what would help?"

"No," he moaned. "What would help?"

"I have a hot tub outside." He couldn't think. The long game was being ruined by thoughts of Jenny in a hot tub and in fewer clothes. Where was his brain right now? "It would certainly help your muscles. If you can manage, why don't you change and I'll go get the massage oil I have upstairs."

Jethro swallowed as she ran a finger down the centre of his back and moved out of the study. He started pulling off his shirt and heading towards the kitchen. It was cold outside, but he would soon heat up in the hot tub. He then heard something lock behind him, and Jethro remembered exactly who he was playing with.

Turning around he saw Jenny, back in her normal clothes, giggling through the kitchen window. "Shepard, its cold out here! Let me in!" He cursed as he wrapped his arms around himself. "Points deducted for such an obvious prank."

"Points deducted for falling for it! I was onto you from the moment you suggested I put on my negligee."

He smirked, remembering how she looked. "You could have said no."

Jenny looked down at the floor and then back up to his eyes. He could see the lust there, could see the want in them. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her and it scared Jenny to death. That was why she had turned it into a prank, to spare them both the embarrassment of the question of going to bed together.

After a couple of moments glaring at each other, Jenny unlocked the door and he ran in. She handed him what looked like a brand new dressing gown and he immediately slipped into it. The robe was warm, made of fleece. It felt good against his skin.

"Little house warming present from me, to say that I am really glad to have you here." Jenny beamed at him. "But no more pranks, okay? You need to heal properly." She ran a hand through her hair. "I'm going to head to bed. Goodnight, Jethro."

She kissed him on the cheek, smirking, although her hands gripped the lapels of his dressing gown too tight. He stroked her face before she pulled away and headed to the door.

"Night Jen."

He needed to get a better control of himself. He had almost ruined everything between them. He needed to focus less on the sex and more on the relationship. Because in all the time they had been partners, she had never once smiled at him like she had done when they were out shopping.

Tomorrow was another day, and he _would_ make Jenny realise that what they had was too good to bury. No matter how long it took, he would make her realise what she was pushing away.


End file.
